Painted Heart
by Titania Eli
Summary: Jellal nearly died saving her. And this time, she would not let him go, not after she finally got him back.
1. Chapter 1

_So there were some rumours that Jellal is going to die sacrificing his life for Erza or someone else, so this is my take on it. I refused to let my Jellal die, damn it._

* * *

**Painted Heart**

The only appropriate word to describe their current situation was chaotic. Erza had been too busy fending off a group of soldiers to really notice the one sneaking up behind her, readying a spell. By the time she noticed, it was too late. She could only watch as the beam of glaring white light rushed towards her with deadly intent.

"_Erza_!" she was suddenly shoved roughly to the side. She gasped as she had the wind knocked out of her violently. She quickly got up to incapacitate the sneaky bastard, looking around for her saviour. She instantly recognized the blue hair under all those dirt and blood. She almost tripped in her haste to getting to his side.

"Jellal?" she panted, rolling him over frantically. She quickly assessed the damages. He was already wounded before taking the attack meant for her. Her hands shook slightly as she snapped off the arrowheads, carefully sliding the arrows out of his body. Arrows from the archers that had been hiding up at the top of the building. The last she remembered, Jellal had yelled something about dealing with the archers as he parted ways with her. She stopped, frozen with fear, as Jellal suddenly stiffened in her arms and started coughing.

"Jellal, what's wrong –" her eyes widened as he gagged and spat out blood, clutching onto her arms tightly. He collapsed back against her, breathing heavily. "Shit, Jellal, why didn't you tell me your lung is punctured?"

She was so angry she wanted to punch him. But she resisted, knowing that she would only aggravated his injuries. The external wounds were bad enough... and now she got to deal with a punctured lung too? Where was Wendy when you need her? She shook her head, examining the wound on his abdomen instead, the biggest worry on her hands currently.

"E-Erza..." Jellal breathed, looking up at her with pained eyes.

She pressed her hand against his neck, giving him a tight smile. "Don't talk and save your energy."

Whatever magic that soldier had possessed had disintegrated the outer layer of Jellal's skin and burned through the muscles. Blood was streaming out of the wound in copious amount. She tried to stop the flow with her hands, getting more and more desperate as her hands became dyed with red.

"Shit!" she cursed, tearing out stripes of fabric from Jellal's clothes to press against the wound. She also tied them around the wounds the arrows had left behind on his limbs, in a messy attempt to stem the flow of blood.

He was bleeding too much, she realized. He needed medical attention right now. She glanced around desperately, trying to find help. Everyone was busy fighting. She growled out loud and punched the ground in frustration.

"It's... alright." Jellal whispered, grabbing her wrist to capture her attention. He smiled weakly at her when she stared at him in confusion. "It's fine this way, Erza."

"You shut up! Don't... don't you _dare _think about giving up!" she snarled, jerking her wrist away. "I am not going to watch you die!"

He continued smiling at her, his complexion wan and bloodless. She wished he could _stop _looking so accepting that he's going to _die_.

"Why did you take the blow meant for me?" she whispered, tightening her grip on the front of his shirt. She shut her eyes tightly, _refusing _to allow the tears to fall. "_Why_, you idiot?"

"S-Sorry, Erza. My legs... just moved by itself." He chuckled hoarsely, wincing almost immediately. His chest hurts, his throat hurts and he couldn't breathe properly. He felt Erza clutching him tighter in response.

"Idiot," she choked, her breath catching in her throat when she noticed his eyes closing. "Jellal, don't you dare close your eyes!"

She shook him harshly, her nails digging into his shoulder. He forced his eyes to remain open, squinting his eyes up at her. He could only made out her wide, frightened brown eyes staring down at him. The rest of her face was a blur.

Her eyes darted around desperately, panic and anger at her own helplessness making them glazed over with tears. She tried to raise her magic to call for help, but everyone was too far away. She sagged in exhaustion, her magic dwindling to nothing. She had used up too much magic.

Jellal watched her worked on his stomach wound with an almost maniacal dedication. All the sins and hurt he had inflicted on her... he would die happy knowing that he had finally done something good. This time, he had managed to save her instead of hurting her.

Painfully, he raised his hand to her cheek. She jolted in surprise, her hand instinctively moving to catch his wrist. She glanced down at him in bewilderment that he could still move.

"Thank you... for everything." He murmured, eyes soft. "Erza... I'm glad to have met you. I just wish... wish we had a little more time together."

"Jellal...?" Erza's voice cracked when his hand went slack. She moved him to her lap, her hands flitting anxiously over his chest and neck. He wasn't breathing. "Jellal!"

Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes. She clutched him tightly, rocking back and forth hysterically with his head against the crook of her neck. She threw her head back and screamed his name for the heavens to hear. Every battle ceased immediately when magic suddenly exploded from her, fluctuating wildly in her grief. Every Fairy Tail member felt their blood ran cold at the sight of Jellal's unmoving body in her arms. Natsu was the first to shake out of his frozen state, rushing to pull her away from his body. He shivered when her magic skimmed over his skin dangerously. He was thankful that the redhead could still vaguely recognize him, or else he held no doubts that her magic would have tried to kill him by now.

"Erza, Erza, please calm down!" he yelled over the roaring wind created from her magic. The redhead shuddered under his hands, choking back sobs. He glanced at Jellal's face and felt his heart clenched painfully. The older mage was really dead. He could not hear any breathing from Jellal at all, and nothing could fool his hearing. Wendy was sniffling quietly behind him, and if it wasn't for Lucy, she would have fallen over. Wendy's skills had improved by leaps and bounds, but even she could not bring back the dead. They could only watch as Erza howled and screamed out her pain, unable to do anything.

Erza lowered her head, too tired to scream any longer. She pulled Jellal closer, trying desperately to hear any heartbeat, or breathing, or _anything_ to prove that he _wasn't _dead. She just got him back, and now she's losing him again? Why was the world so _unfair_?

"Damn you, Jellal... damn you." She cursed, her hands curling into fists. She felt more people joined her, but didn't look up, too immersed in her grief to notice anything else.

"What happened here?" Laxus demanded, glaring at Natsu.

Natsu looked up at him, lips trembling in distress and helplessness. "He's dead, Laxus. Jellal's dead."

Laxus's eyes widened in shock, his head snapping towards Erza's direction. She was slumped over the still body in her arms. Blue hair looked almost black from all the blood and whatnot on them.

Laxus cannot say that he knew Jellal very well, but they had been on the same team in the Grand Magic Games, and he knew that the fugitive was _not _weak. He might have lost against Jura, but Laxus believed that if it hadn't been for his companions' interference, he would have given Jura a run for his money.

"This is bullshit." He hissed under his breath. "Jellal won't die that easily!"

He squatted down beside Erza, and with a reassuring pat on her arm that he's not going to harm him, pulled Jellal from her embrace. He laid the body in front of him. His skin still felt warm, so he couldn't have died not long ago. Laxus closed his eyes and placed his palms on Jellal's chest. He gathered his electricity in his fists, exhaling slowly. With a sharp inhale, he released the electricity into Jellal's body. Natsu yelled in shock and almost leaped forward to stop him if it wasn't for Lucy.

"I see," she muttered, holding him back. "Laxus might be able to revive Jellal using electricity to restart his heart."

They watched anxiously as Laxus sent shocks into Jellal's still, unmoving body. Every moment felt like hours, their hope fading as Jellal remained motionless. Laxus gritted his teeth as he prepared for one last shock. If Jellal still doesn't wake... He closed his eyes and hoped for the best, pumping the electricity into the unmoving body. Jellal's hand twitched slightly, before going still. Natsu exhaled loudly in anger and frustration when nothing happened. He turned away, tears pricking at his eyes. Jellal was dead and Erza was crying. He had failed to protect anyone again.

He stopped when he heard a soft wheezing. He spun around just in time to see Jellal gasped, back arching as he was jerked back to life. Cheers erupted as Wendy stumbled forward to start her healing, her eyes tearful. Erza stared in disbelief, too shocked to react. When Wendy managed to stop the bleeding, she finally moved.

She bowed her head, squeezing her eyes shut as she whispered soft enough for him to hear. "I'm never letting you go again."

Jellal smiled slightly before he passed out, too exhausted to remain awake any longer. Erza fumbled to check his pulse, just to make sure he's still alive.

"Better get him away before any of those Rune Knights see him." Laxus barked gruffly, lifting him up effortlessly. "I'm bringing him to gramps. Wendy, come with me."

"Y-Yes!" Wendy squeaked, rushing to catch up with his longer strides. Carle fluttered after her, a silent ghost by her side.

"He's alive." Erza whispered, finally allowing herself to relax. Lucy gripped her shoulders to steady her, giving her a worried look. "Jellal's alive."

With a small smile, she finally let herself rest.


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm really amused to see you guys thinking I would just end things in the previous chapter. Of course I won't just end things without some drama._

* * *

Jellal looked peaceful asleep, she thought to herself. Her eyes traced the soft lines on his face, the thick lashes resting flatly on his skin. He looked just like any ordinary man in the world.

Wendy had spent every drop of her magical reserves healing Jellal, refusing to rest until she's sure that Jellal was out of danger zone. Currently, she's slumbering on the armchair at the end of the room, with Carle curled up in her lap. Erza reminded herself to treat Wendy a large strawberry cake when they returned to Magnolia. She couldn't thank the little girl enough.

She glanced back at the sleeping man on the bed and hesitantly reached out to hold his hand. Warm, she thought, entwining their fingers together. She gently brushed his hair away from his face, taking the moment to devour his features. How long have she longed to touch him like this, without any restraints? Her fingers lingered over his hair, before tentatively sliding down his face to graze over the skin. She quietly savoured the warmness.

He was alive. She mouthed it repeatedly, tasting the words on her lips. _He was alive._

_So close_, she thought. She was just _this _close to forever losing him. If it hadn't been for Laxus...

She was jerked out of her reverie when she felt his hand twitched slightly. She looked down in surprise before excitedly snapping her eyes back to his face. His eyes were moving slightly under his closed lids. She bit her lip to control her agitation as she slowly waited for him to wake.

"Er... Erza." He croaked out a raspy whisper. His pupils were dilated and unfocused as he gazed up at her smiling face. He blinked, his eyes becoming more alert. "Erza..."

She let out a choking laugh and flung herself at him. "Thank god, thank god, thank god..."

* * *

The whole Grand Magic Games fiasco was over, the various guilds were slowly returning back to their own homes and Crime Sorcière was parting ways with Fairy Tail. After all, they were still fugitives on the run. Jellal's injuries were healed and it was with the combined efforts of both Wendy and Porlyusica that he was able to stand up and walk about.

Erza, sitting by the edge of the bar counter, watched Jellal solemnly. She knew she was hovering around him for the past few days. She didn't missed the looks Lucy and Ultear were giving her after all, although Ultear's expression leaned more towards exasperation, as if she wanted to take the heads of both the redhead and Jellal and slammed them against each other.

"Well, I guess we'll see each other sometime in the future." Ultear smiled, clasping the collar of her mantle together. "You guys did wonderfully by the way."

Jellal stood a little behind her, his eyes seeking out a certain redhead. When their eyes met, he gave her a tiny smile. She instinctively rose from the chair. Was she going to let him just leave like that? She felt someone else's eyes on her, giving her an uncomfortable feeling around her shoulders. She turned, blinking in surprise when she found Meredy looking at her. Meredy almost jumped when she noticed the redhead staring back at her. Then, slowly, the surprised and guilty expression melted away and she gestured at Jellal beside her, giving Erza a pointed look. For a moment, Erza felt confused because she couldn't understand what the pink-haired mage was trying to tell her. Then Meredy gave her a kind, knowing look and looked back at Jellal. Erza swallowed when she realized she had just gotten the equivalent of a sisterly approval from Meredy.

"Wait!" she didn't realized she had shouted until everyone's eyes were on her. She flushed and cleared her throat, meeting Jellal's puzzled eyes. "S-Stay with me."

Jellal's brows furrowed in confusion. Erza let out a huff of frustration and embarrassment. She stomped towards him, seized his wrist and dragged him out of the Fairy Tail lodging.

"Erza, what –?" Jellal stammered as she let him go, wondering if he had done something to piss her off. She certainly looked ready to hit someone.

"Jellal," her tone silenced him instantly. He wished she would just turn around, because he couldn't tell what she's thinking like this. Erza's eyes always gave her away. "Jellal, stay with me. Don't go."

She slowly turned around, eyes unexpectedly soft and pleading. "Stay by my side, Jellal. I don't care anymore. The Magic Council or Zeref... I won't let anything separate you from me any longer."

"What... what are you saying?" he whispered, looking away. "You know that's..."

Erza stepped forward, holding up a hand. "Listen to me first." Jellal bit his lip and nodded to indicate that he's listening. "Jellal, I'm tired of losing you. How many times had it been? I lost you once to Ultear, another at the Tower of Heaven and once again I lost you to the Magic Council. And this time... you nearly – no, you actually _died_! Do you think I can just let you go like that?"

Jellal opened his mouth, only to be stopped with her finger over his lips. She was so close he could smell her. A unique blend of metal and strawberry scent.

"I'm not letting you go," she whispered. "Not after I finally got you back."

He stared at her, unable to believe what he's hearing. "Erza, I... I can't. If I stay... I will only give you and Fairy Tail trouble. Please don't give the Magic Council anymore reasons to suspect you."

"Jellal," her voice was gentle and careful when she spoke his name, as if it was her most precious treasure and she had to be cautious in handling it too roughly. He looked up at her face, and her eyes were so tender he felt like crying. She reached up hesitantly and lightly caressed his cheek, a strange look in her eyes. "I love you, Jellal. I love you. So please stay."

His eyes widened, a jolt of shock numbing his mouth and cutting off his ability to speak. He knew he probably looked like an idiot, gaping at her. Unbidden, he felt his eyes watered. Choking in surprise, he reeled back and quickly looked down so she wouldn't see the tears in his eyes.

"Jellal?" Erza frowned in concern. Well, that wasn't what she was expecting.

She timidly touched his arm, blinking in confusion when he flinched. His head jerked up and her eyes widened when she saw the wetness in his eyes.

"Erza..." her heart clenched at the heart-breaking sorrow in his voice. "You... you should never have loved me. I-I don't deserve someone like you to love me. Someone who only know how to cause pain and hurt everyone around him. Someone who has hurt you too many times to count." He swallowed, his lips trembling, and when he spoke again, his voice was full of raw anguish. "Erza, how is it that you can ever love someone like me?"

Her eyes softened, a small, sad smile gracing her lips. She slowly tugged him closer, an arm sliding over his shoulders. She felt his fingers digging into her bicep, pulling at the fabric over the skin.

"...How is it that you don't hate me?" he whispered into her shoulder. "How is it that you can forgive me so easily?"

"How can I not?" she asked gently, drawing away slightly to look into his eyes. "How can I hate you? How can I hate someone who could still cry in front of me and tries so hard to atone for his sins?"

When she experimentally leaned forward and he didn't move away, she bended down and kissed him. Erza has never kissed anyone in her life. She'd always thought kissing quite disgusting. Why would anyone want to share spit with each other? But kissing Jellal felt _right. _Jellal shyly kissed her back, hesitant and unsure, mostly following her lead.

"Alright," Lucy huffed, pulling at Natsu's ear. "Let's all give them our privacy!"

Ultear rolled her eyes as she ducked away. "Looks like we're staying with Fairy Tail after all."

Erza smiled as Jellal glanced up at her, licking his lips uncertainly. She resisted the urge to kiss him again and leaned against him, closing her eyes.

"The world may hate you, Jellal," she said softly. "But I will never stop loving you."


End file.
